Chasing Nirvana:

ENDORSEMENTS FOR CHASING NIRVANA

"With crisp, unwavering candor, Hutner charts the fine line between devotion and coercion [...] By the taut, thriller-like ending, Hutner reveals the steep cost of surrendering one's agency and the fierce resolve to reclaim it outside the confines of blind faith, culminating in a hard-won liberation."

—BookLife, Publishers Weekly

“Priya is one of the most courageous people I know—the journey of a real seeker isn’t for the faint of heart. As Priya makes clear in her story, you have to have courage to go beyond the mundane comfort of the familiar, on a road that leads to places you’ve never been. She went there her way, and that’s what makes her journey an inspiration to others.”

—Arlo Guthrie, musician and American singer-songwriter

“In this unflinching account of growing up in a religious community dominated by a complicated leader, Priya Hutner deftly dances between her genuine love for her guru and a lucid portrayal of the dangers and dysfunctions of giving one’s power away to a charismatic and unstable teacher who demands blind loyalty.”

—Mirabai Starr, author of Caravan of No Despair and Ordinary Mysticism

“Priya Hutner’s Chasing Nirvana is raw, courageous, and profoundly relatable for anyone who’s ever lost themselves in the promise of enlightenment. Her story shines a light on the seductive power of charismatic leaders and the universal longing to belong.”

—Sarah Edmonson, author of Scarred and cohost of the A Little Bit Culty podcast

“Chasing Nirvana - What an infuriating book! I was forced to sit up until half past three this morning to finish it, unputdownable as it is 🙂 Seriously, such a grippingly narrated memoir, and what a resilient individual you are! It’s testament to your moral strength and grace that you have so warm a relationship with your sons as you describe, given all that transpired. But, as intense and harrowing a personal story as you tell, for me it’s the interrogation of charismatic religious leadership that feels the book’s true, unique quality. You’ve managed to avoid the ‘escape the evil, duplicitous, fake cult’ of so many other works on the subject. We get a nuanced and fascinating insight into not just the vast, neurotic, grasping neediness of a leader who must must must own every aspect of their devotees’ lives, but also Ma’s genuinely mystical and awe-inspiring potency. Her direct channel to whatever one wants to call it – God, the supernatural, collective consciousness, whatever. I actually found it often quite a loving portrait of a dangerously fractured (very) human being plugged, somehow, into something way beyond ordinary reality, and how destructive that can be – a portrait that in no way did she ultimately deserve, given what you suffered at her hands. The final section when she's lashing out so hideously at you reminded me of a certain current US leader and the manner in which he lashes out at those who 'betray' him. Overall, it’s an enthralling, heart-wrenching, humane work that deserves to be widely read and discussed. Bravo, Priya!”

—Harry Whitehead, author of White Road and The Cannibal Spirit + director, Literary Leicester Festival 

“What a book! It grabbed me from the first few pages and I couldn’t put it down. Priya Hutner’s Chasing Nirvana is a rare window into life inside a chaotic, cult-like spiritual community told with compassion, love, and honesty. What a long, strange, beautiful, crazy, and redemptive trip it’s been for Priya and how blessed we are that she is sharing it with us. Highly recommended.”

—Bill O’Hanlon, Oprah-featured author of Do One Thing Different, Love Is a Verb, and Solution-Oriented Spirituality

“Bold and beautifully told, Chasing Nirvana beckons us inside an incense-filled ashram, to sit at the feet of “Ma”—a diet-obsessed guru in red plaid flannel shorts and gold bangles who is both evangelical pastor and charismatic MLM leader. After decades of sacrifice and secrets, Priya Hutner’s memoir tells tough truths about the ritual de lo habitual of life in a cult. Realizing Ma’s insatiable appetite for devotion is starving those around her of their own happiness, Priya finally chooses herself and chases her own Nirvana.”

—Bridey Thelen-Heidel, author of Bright Eyes-A Memoir

“Priya Hutner reveals a depth of introspection rarely shared. In doing so, she eloquently presents a spiritual architecture for interdependence and reciprocation with the world.”

—Obi Kaufmann, author of the California Field Atlas

“Chasing Nirvana is an intriguing, thought-provoking memoir. With brilliant chapter headings drawn from song lyrics, a hint at what’s to come, aligning with each stage of her journey. Hutner delivers engaged, thought-provoking writing and reveals how easily we can be swayed and how we can gain the strength to break free.”

—Eve Quesnel, author of Snow Fleas and Chickadees

“A brave and bold true tale of living in, loving, and surviving a cult.”

—Anette Nilsson, author of Soul-Happy: A Viking Woman's Long Road Home

“Raw, honest, and deeply captivating, Chasing Nirvana is a must-read for anyone drawn to spirituality, self-discovery, and the resilience it takes to reclaim your life. I found myself rooting for her the whole way.’

—Kristen Tremonti, author of Maybe a Note Would Help: Transforming Your Life with a Few Kind Words. 

“Brave, honest, and utterly compelling memoir is essential reading for anyone interested in cult-like communities, self-discovery, spirituality, and transcending challenging life experiences.”

—Dr. Julie Savitch, author of My Other Kids: A Memoir of Child Advocacy and the Power of Showing Up